Hundreds of thousands of years ago, matoran thrived on all parts of Barordak Nui. The deserts held great Kolhii games, and the treacherous mountains made sure anyone who didn't know the path would lose their way and be lost, potentially forever. A large swamp controlled the center, being home to both Ga-Matorans and Le-Matorans, though of course, some members of the two groups liked beaches and forests. These other villagers weren't disputed and hated by the others but were brother and sister to each other.

Over time a dangerous being settled on the island. Preferring to work from the shadows and corrupting the minds of innocent matoran, Makuta Ikatakk almost killed thousands of Onu-Matoran by flooding the Great Mine with lava. He was stopped by six heroes, the Toa Nebula.


Stohn got up from his chair and went outside his tent, immediately answering the questions of the various matoran outside. Go here, help this person, deliver that. One order stuck out through the mass and strangely struck Hoei. "Check the ice for strange colors,"

Hoei looked over and saw an Onu-Matoran march towards the Glacier. Hoei knew that eavesdropping was bad. A matoran's business was their own, and it was much worse to spy on a Turaga's words. Yet Hoei couldn't be stopped and he followed the Onu-Matoran.

The Glacier was already an imposing sight, but when one got closer to it and strained their neck to see the top, it seemed impossible to climb for one person. The Onu-Matoran stopped in their tracks, turned around, and faced Hoei.

"You do a bad job of stalking,"

"Sorry, you want me to wear a mound of lightstones on my head next time?"

"Sure. Maybe a Rahi will eat you,"

"It might go after you next,"

"I'll be long gone."

Hoei looked at the Onu-Matoran and passed him, to the impenetrable wall of ice. Then something flashed within it, some 10 or so feet past the ice. It was a blur of blue for a second and gone the next. Hoei ignored the matoran in his way and rushed towards the ice, slamming his fist against it trying to get some reaction.

"Uh… are you alright?" The Onu-Matoran said.

Hoei responded by slamming his fist into the wall again, this time in defeat. "I saw something in the ice. Something blue and fast."

"Maybe it was just a reflection. There are a lot of Ga-Matoran around here."

Hoei turned to face the Onu-Matoran, wearing a face of disbelief, "No matoran could run that fast, it had to be from inside,"

"Fine, let's go check it out," The Onu-Matoran reached into a bag tied around his waist and pulled out a folding pickaxe. "Turaga Stohn told me to check the ice for strange colors. That means there's something in there that might make strange colors."

"Then your job is done and you should report it to Turaga Stohn! Job well done."

"We both have a deadly inquisitive nature to us. That's why you're here."

The Onu-Matoran struck against the ice, chipping a substantial chunk off. Hoei walked over and started to help his new friend by clearing away the cold rubble. The work was difficult and several times matoran came over to ask the two what they were doing. In response, they simply said they were on a mission from a Turaga.

Hours had passed and the sun was shining brightly down upon the land. The two matoran had dug a tunnel that almost reached the ten-foot mark. No other colors had appeared to Hoei or his friend. With every chunk and every foot, Hoei seemed more disappointed in himself for imagining such a silly thing.

Then the pick struck ice and the entire front of the tunnel collapsed. A junction had been created as behind the ice was another tunnel. It ran parallel to the wall, never getting closer or farther away. The Onu-Matoran and Hoei looked both ways and cautiously stepped into the tunnel.

It seemed slightly different than the one they had just dug. It was still cold, cramped, and slippery, but the walls and floor were smooth. The two matoran looked at each other, wondering if the other had an idea of what to do. After some staring, Hoei looked out the old tunnel and to the outside. There he saw matoran hard at work, smithers hammering away, creating spikes for Gukko riders to plant in the Glacier.

"You have friends, right?" Hoei asked

"More than you."

"Good. Bring them here. I'll bring mine."

Hoei and his friend parted ways, going to their friends. Hoei went to Cas and asked about Lopek's whereabouts. He was out in the air, working hard. Cas told Hoei to grab a hammer and wait for Lopek, he made his refills at their camp as a way to say sorry.

The Onu-Matoran went to his friends, a Ga-Matoran and a Ta-Matoran. The two eagerly followed, wanting a break from their work. Lopek returned and gave Cas and Hoei a ride to the tunnel where the Onu-Matoran's group was waiting.

"There!" Hoei pointed to the group of three matorans idly waiting.

Lopek glided near the group and safely landed without any crashed tents. The 6 Matorans all introduced themselves to each other. Lopek the Le-Matoran was the only flyer and Nekora the Onu-Matoran the only Turaga Helper. Hoei the Po-Matoran, Cas the Ko-Matoran, Gawae the Ga-Matoran, and Tadan the Ta-Matoran were all smithers.

Hoei stepped forward and climbed onto a melting pile of ice by the tunnel entrance, "Alright you matorans. We're going to go on an adventure without Turaga Stohn's permission. I've seen a flash of blue from within the Glacier and now we've found a tunnel running parallel to the outside. We have no idea what might be in that tunnel. If any of you don't want to follow me and Nekora, leave now and no harm will be done to your name."

The ragtag group of adventurers looked at each other and eventually all eyes landed back on Hoei. Stepping down, he walked into the tunnel and the others followed.

Lopek looked around the ice, trying to see anything other than cloudy ice. "Hey, do you think this tunnel echoes? ECHOOOOO!" Lopek's call reverberated through the tunnel and didn't go away. It grew louder and louder until it was almost unbearable. Then more voices started to join in, echoing at different times, creating a chaotic mess. All the matoran ran out of the tunnel and some more feet away until the sound would stop.

Tadan almost hurled from the dizzying experience.

Gawae stood up and glared at the menacing tunnel, "What WAS that?"

"A warning." Cas looked at Hoei, trying to see what their reaction would be.

"That I'm ignoring." Hoei stood up, shook his head lightly, and marched back into the tunnel. "Nekora, take your group to the left, I'll take Cas and Lopek to the right. Everyone remains deadly silent."

Hoei started his walk into the tunnel. It was quiet and so were his steps. He took his time, touching the front of his foot to the ground and slowly dropping the rest. After making some headway he turned around to see Nekora, Lopek, and Tadan following. Cas and Gawae were apprehensive. Cas looked into Hoei's eyes and shook her head before entering the tunnel with Gawae following behind.

Nekora's group went left at the intersection and quickly found a right turn, going deeper into the Glacier. After some more time, the ice turned a dark blue as they progressed deeper. The temperature slowly dropped as well. Tadan took notice the quickest, shivering as he reached around his bag and pulled out an unlit torch. Knowing that he shouldn't talk, he tapped Nekora on the shoulder and pointed toward his torch.

Nekora shook his head and continued walking. Eventually, Nekora started to lose his footing. Gawae grabbed onto him and forcefully pulled him onto solid ground. Tadan slowly crouched over to where Nekora started to fall when he noticed it was a pit, carefully disguising itself in the single color tunnel. Tadan searched around trying to find a way across.

When none was found Nekora pointed towards Tadan's bag. Pulling out the torch, Nekora acted out lighting it. Once the torch was lit, Nekora pointed towards the pit. Tadan looked over the edge and its unfathomable length. He dropped the torch down and the three matoran eagerly watched, not one knowing what they hoped would happen.

A thud was made and all three matoran instinctively cupped their hands around their ears. The torch didn't stop moving. It rolled off away from the group until the only visible part was the soft glow of the flame, which also disappeared. This pit led to a slide.

Nekora tried to see if Tadan had any rope or spikes. When neither was found, he pulled out his pickaxe and snapped it in two. He slowly stabbed both into the pit walls and rotated them in a circular motion, creating a large hole big enough for hands to fit. Nekora slowly put his hands into the slots as Tadan and Gawae held him from falling.

Hoei also discovered a pit, dealing with it much less gracefully, opting to fall into it face first and slam his head into the slide. The loud thunk reverberated from the pit. As Cas and Lopek booked it away, all Hoei heard was his head smashing against ice and maybe a "We'll be back!" from one of the two. Hopefully.

As expected, the sound grew and grew, making Hoei's head almost split in two. As he got up, he looked around and saw he had one way to go. He walked along the tunnel as the sound grew louder and louder. The chaotic mismatching of sound started again and eventually died off. Hoei stood there in silence. His read vibrated back and forth as his legs tried to move. Hoei took one more step and collapsed. Unconscious, his body slid forward in the tunnel.

The ice slide took a more exciting shape, twisting and turning Hoei's sleeping body in all directions as if it were an amusement park ride. Eventually, all fun things must end, and the tunnel lead to a large room where Hoei flew out and did not softly land.

Cas and Lopek waited far away from the Glacier until the sound died off.

"It's been too long and we need to get back there quick-fast. I vote we book it to the pit."

"And kill our ears before we even get there? I don't like the sound of that."

"You won't have to hear it if you do."

"That's the issue."

"Oh. Then what do you say we do?"

"Take it slow until the pit, if Hoei isn't an idiot he should still be there waiting for us."

Lopek started back towards the entrance and before entering, looked at Cas. "You have too much faith in that matoran."